Do you have a "go to" memory box? 

It's a list of all the wonderful memories you have. I put it on my phone so it's always handy. 

It's just a list of things that have meant so much to me in my life. "What good is a list and what do you do with it?"

Things don't always go right in our lives. Or better put, they don't always go as we'd like them to. Why not have a collection of "toys" you can go play with when you're feeling down? That collection of toys is your memory list.

I've written down (and continue to add to it) as many of the happy times and memories I have. During tough times or when I'm tired or need an uplift, I look at my list and pick a memory to relive. It does amazing things to and for your brain. It will help release endorphins and oxytocin all of which will elevate your mood. 

Here's two examples:

- Saturday when I finally turned on the heat, I discovered it wasn't working. I called my friend for help. Then it worked but conked out again. Instead of panicking over something I can't control (remember yesterday's lesson), I just let it go and told myself that it would get fixed eventually. But I didn't just stop there. The friend I called was the grandson of my neighbor who moved away in October and whom I still miss so much. That, of course, brought back memories of Steve. Instead of moping about how much I missed him, i remembered how he organized a block party for me two nights before I left on my trek and how much fun we all had. That got me out of any funk pretty quickly.

- At Across the Years in December when I was having those 5 days of pain, in addition to using the pain reprocessing tools I have learned, I thought about my favorite memory of all time. It was the last presentation I ever gave while I was working and I knocked it out of the park. I was flying high by the time that was over. It was as if I had been taken over by Steve Jobs or someone who amazes audiences for a living. The feeling I had at the end of that is one I've never experienced before or since. Reliving that memory helped pull me out of the pain pit as I made the laps at the race and helped me get to the point where the pain finally left. 

It's so simple:

1) Make a list of these memories

2) Keep the list on an index card or on a readily available file in your phone

3) When you're in need of any sort of lift, pull out the card and pick a memory

4) Actually try to do time travel and return to the memory and feel as if you're in it again. 

5) Watch what it does for your  mood! It's magic